The digital political performance of João Campos on Instagram: the aesthetics of “nevou” [it snowed] and the construction of the “maloca da periferia” [slum from the periphery] persona

Abstract

This article analyzes the performance of Recife’s mayor, João Campos, in his Instagram posts, focusing on the adoption of the “nevou” aesthetic during the 2024 Carnival. The study investigates how this enactment, initiated by the challenge of singer Anderson Neiff and amplified by artists such as MC Elvis, contributed to the construction of a political persona that appropriates cultural codes of the periphery and strategies typical of digital influencers. The analysis draws on Taylor (2013) and Carlson (2010) to understand the strategic dimension of performance and its ability to mobilize emotions and audience identification; on Martino (2014) to discuss the logic of webcelebrities and fandom; on Manovich (2001) to examine the concepts of variability and flow in digital media; and on Goffman (1985) to explore impression management processes. Methodologically, the study combines qualitative content analysis with guidelines for digital platform methods (Maia; Orlandini; Oliveira, 2022), encompassing visual, textual, and engagement metrics. The results show that João Campos’s digital performance represented a significant transformation of his public image, turning an aesthetic gesture into a strategy of cultural mediation and consolidating his popularity through the validation of Recife’s cultural figures and the massive engagement of followers. The research also reveals how, even as a staged performance, João Campos acts as a cultural mediator, bringing visibility to peripheral movements for a broader audience, while depending on validation from local actors to sustain his “maloca da periferia” persona in communities.